The Value of Context-Based Interface Prototyping for the Autonomous Vehicle Domain: A Method Overview

Before autonomous vehicles (AVs; SAE levels 4 and 5) become broadly available, acceptance challenges such as trust and safety concerns must be overcome. In the development of appropriate HMIs that will tackle these challenges, physical and social context play essential roles. Contextual factors thus need to be considered in early prototyping stages. Based on a qualitative semi-systematic literature review and knowledge from our research, this paper elaborates on the value of context-based interface prototyping in the AV domain. It provides a comprehensive overview and a discussion of applicable methods, including physical lab-based prototyping (mock-up, ride simulation with virtual and mixed reality, and immersive video), social context simulation (actors, enactment, items and props, and sound), wizard-of-oz, and experimental vehicles. Finally, the paper discusses factors affecting the impact of prototyping and derives recommendations for the application of prototyping methods in future AV studies.